Podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan.
Vivian Zink | SYFY | NBCUniversal
Spotify has signed a blockbuster new deal with polarizing podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan, but this time, his show won't be exclusive to Spotify, the company announced Friday in a press release.
The multi-year deal with Rogan, the founder of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” is said to be worth around $250 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the deal. The show was the number one podcast in the United States during the third quarter of last year, according to Edison Research.
Spotify also said it is expanding the partnership to allow the show to be available on other platforms. Shares of the audio streaming giant rose about 1.5% on Friday.
Spotify first brought “The Joe Rogan Experience” to its platform exclusively in 2020 in a deal reportedly worth more than $100 million.
The talk show-style podcast is known, and often criticized, for its edgy approach and guests. Last year, for example, Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on the show and said that he bought the social media site X to save it from the “woke mind virus.”
Rogan faced backlash in 2022 after a compilation of videos surfaced of him using the N-word. He was also reprimanded by medical professionals and others for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about Covid-19.
Spotify was criticized for hosting those videos and dozens of Rogan episodes were removed from the platform. Musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell also removed their music libraries from Spotify in protest.
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